7,000 Palestinians start hunger strike in Israeli jails

1608

12 September 2014 10:51

Around 7,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails started on Wednesday a one-day hunger strike to protest the death of a fellow prisoner.

“Palestinian prisoners in all Israeli jails have started a hunger strike in protest against the death of fellow prisoner Raed Abdel Salam al-Jaabari at Eshel prison on Tuesday,” the independent higher command authority for Palestinian prisoners said in a statement.

It accused Israeli prison authorities of “unprecedented” escalation against Palestinian prisoners, denying them their basic rights.

A former Palestinian minister who had just been released from Israeli prison said the Israeli escalation coincided with the recent Israeli war on the blockaded Gaza Strip, which came to an end on August 26.